Rare Stradivari cello to be auctioned online

A Stradivari cello once owned by the sister of the James Bond creator Ian Fleming is expected to fetch millions of pounds when it is auctioned online next month.

There are only 60 surviving cellos made by Antonio StradivariPhoto: Stephen Lock

By Tom Peterkin

11:02AM BST 08 Sep 2008

The sale of the 300-year-old cello, which is insured for £1.4 million, is the first time that such a valuable instrument has been the subject of an internet auction.

The instrument, one of 60 surviving cellos made by Antonio Stradivari, has already stimulated a great deal of interest.

Amaryllis Fleming, the half-sister of the Bond author who was regarded as one of Britain's finest musicians, was its owner before her death in 1999.

"It's not likely that any individual musician will be able to afford to buy the cello, but we are seeing more and more investment groups as well as wealthy individuals buying rare instruments on behalf of very talented musicians," said Jason Price of Tarisio, the internet auctioneers of fine instruments in New York.

"They are happy to loan the violins or cellos. Whereas there is a lot of gloom and doom in the property market, rare musical instruments keep on increasing in value. This is a fairly secretive business but I've heard rumours of someone paying $10 million (£5.66 million) for an instrument."

The instrument was made to Stradivari's "Formula B" pattern, which has been the template for most cellos made since.

The proceeds of the sale will go to the Royal College of Music, where Miss Fleming taught and won a scholarship to as a student.